As soon as I pulled into the school parking lot this morning, I got a text from Kami saying she wanted me over for dinner tonight. I’m not one to turn down food or company, so I accepted the invitation. Once I got home from work, I rummaged through my cabinets to see if I had anything to bake for dessert. I don’t like going to someone’s house empty-handed. It turns out I have plenty of chocolate chips, cocoa, and flour to make a pan of homemade brownies.
I mix everything up and put the pan of brownies into the oven. Once they’re all done, I wrap up the pan and head straight over to Colin and Kami’s. I haven’t been to their house since Thanksgiving, and when I drive up, the outside is lit with hundreds of white Christmas lights all around their porch. Their front window curtains are pulled away so you can see their Christmas tree inside, all decorated with colorful ornaments. I grew up with parents who loved the holidays, so I had my tree up and my bright lights ready to hang on the porch on Thanksgiving morning.
I park beside Kami’s Jeep and grab the brownies from the passenger seat; the pan is still warm. Kami opens the front door before I can knock. “Hey,” she yells with a bright smile on her face. “Do you like the lights? Colin and I hung them up last night.”
I walk up the stairs and hand her the brownies. “I love them. Then again, you know I’m a sucker for anything Christmas-related.”
Kami breathes in the brownies and hugs me. “And you know I love brownies. Thank you for making them.”
She lets me go, and I smile. “No problem. What are we eating tonight?”
Once inside, Kami shuts the door behind us. “Barbecue chicken, twice-baked potatoes, sauteed green beans, and crescent rolls.”
My stomach growls. “Sounds fantastic. Did you not have to help train at the academy today?”
She walks into the kitchen, and I follow her. The food smells fantastic. “I did, but my boss didn’t need me all day. That’s why I thought it’d be a good night to have you over.” There’s an open bottle of wine on the counter, and she pours us both a glass. “Make yourself at home. Colin’s about to get the chicken off the grill.” Just as she says it, Colin walks in with a plate full of chicken.
“Amelie. Glad you could make it,” he says.
“Thanks for having me.”
His attention turns to the window, and I follow his gaze to see another car pulling into the driveway; it’s small, black and sporty. I can’t tell who it is until I see Zayne step out, dressed in his usual attire. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in jeans and a T-shirt. It’s always button-down shirts and slacks; very professional. Colin sets the chicken down beside the rest of the food and walks out the door.
Taking a sip of my wine, I watch them walk around the side of the house to the back patio. “You know, I’ve never actually spoken to Zayne before. The closest I’ve ever been around him was the night of the fae war when Laila died and came back.”
Kami lifts her glass of wine to her lips. “That was a scary night. But you’re not the only one who hasn’t spoken to him. He doesn’t talk much to anyone in the pack.”
“Why is that?” I wonder.
She shrugs. “After spending years with just Colin, I’m sure he wants some peace.”
“I heard that,” Colin shouts from outside.
We both laugh, and I drink the rest of my wine. “Being alone isn’t that bad, but I do love talking to people now and again.”
Kami grins. “That’s because you’re good at it. People love talking to you.”
I watch Colin and Zayne on the back porch, and it’s hard not to notice how handsome Zayne is. He’s over a hundred and fifty years older than me, but he doesn’t look a day over thirty. His beard is short and well-kept, maybe even slightly rugged. He’s not your typical wolf. But, I’m not going to lie, he fascinates me.
Colin walks in through the back door, and I turn away to make it look like I wasn’t staring. I figured Zayne would follow him, but when the door doesn’t open again, I peer over my shoulder to see him still on the deck, his attention turned to the mountains.
“Is he coming in?” Kami asks Colin.
“Oh, yeah,” Colin answers. “He said he just needs a minute.”
Colin busies himself with helping Kami, but I can’t take my eyes away from Zayne. An idea pops into my head, and I smile. Moving over to the wine, I fill up my glass and turn for the door.
“Where are you going?” Kami asks.
I wink at her over my shoulder. “You say people love talking to me, so I’m going to see if it’s true.”
Her eyes widen. “You’re going out there?”
Both her and Colin stare at me as if I’m about to walk into the lion’s den. But, then again, that doesn’t scare me. Nothing does anymore. Zayne’s just a wolf who doesn’t like to socialize with people. Unfortunately for him, I’m not going to give him a choice.
“Hopefully, he doesn’t leave me hanging,” I say, backing up out of the room.
Their mouths gape, but they don’t try to stop me. When I get to the door, I take a deep breath and walk outside. Zayne tenses when I step onto the deck, but he doesn’t acknowledge me. I move closer, but there’s about three feet of distance between us. Bringing the wine to my lips, I slowly sip some down, wondering if he’ll speak to me first. Of course, he doesn’t, but that doesn’t shock me.
Turning my body toward him, I smile and wait for him to look at me. “I’m Amelie. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m a good friend of Laila’s.”
Being around royals is always interesting. Zayne slowly turns his head my way, and it’s the first time I’ve noticed how blue his eyes are. I can feel his power more so than any other wolf I’ve been around. He’s strong.
“I know who you are,” he says, his voice low in that sexy sort of way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I nod toward the house. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“Will that be okay?”
“Of course. The more, the merrier. I like being around people.”
Zayne snorts, and there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “That makes one of us.”
I take a sip of my wine. “I guess that’s why you didn’t come to Thanksgiving dinner. You may like being alone, but I could tell others missed you.”
For a second, he appears shocked at my comment by the surprised look on his face. “You think?” he asks.
“Oh, I know,” I reply. “All of my friends here are part of your family. Who wouldn’t want their families around for the holidays? I’d love to have mine back.”
He averts his gaze but not before I could see a hint of sadness. “So would I.”
I know he’s lost a lot of people he loved, including his parents. We have that in common. “I’m sure you’ve been by to see Laila and the baby, right?”
Zayne turns his head to me, and his lips pull up slightly. “I have. Laila has her magic back.”
“I know,” I say happily. “I think she’s stronger now than she’s ever been. And little Sera is absolutely adorable.”
“Yes, she is.”
The man is going to think I talk too much by the end of the night. I finish off my wine and set the glass on the wooden railing. “I hear your business is booming. Colin tells me all about the clients you both have. I know you have to be happy about that.”
Zayne smiles this time, but it’s only for a second. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want to let himself feel happiness. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to show it. “I am happy,” he confides. “I never thought it’d take off the way it has. Colin has really perfected the craft. There are days I think he designs better than me.”
I shake my head. “I wouldn’t say that. You’re both two different people with different styles. I’ve seen some of your work.”
He moves closer, and my breath hitches. “You have?” he asks, staring right into my eyes.
The way he looks at me with such intensity makes my insides tremble. It’s been a long time since anyone’s looked at me like that. But, if I’m honest with myself, I like it. The only other man who’s touched me has been his brother, Micah, but that’s only because we spar against each other.
Swallowing hard, I nod and suck in a breath. “Colin showed me. His style is more modern, but yours is a combination of both modern and traditional. Your designs have almost a regal feel to them. It’s probably because you’ve been around a lot longer and have seen a lot more than the rest of us.”
“You make me sound ancient.” In all seriousness, his gaze drops down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. I can see why all the women in the pack are mesmerized by the Lyall men. Micah is my training partner, but there’s never been anything romantic between us. Is he sexy as hell? Of course, but I’ve never pursued him in any way other than friendship. Zayne is something entirely different. On the outside, he’s calm and collected, but in his eyes, I can see the wild, dangerous animal he keeps inside. A part of me wants to see that side of him.
Clearing my throat, I wipe away all those thoughts from my mind. “I’m old too, so I can’t say anything.” He opens his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “And before you ask, I’m not telling you how old I am.” It’s not that it’s a big secret. I’m only in my fifties, but I thought it’d be fun to joke around, maybe loosen him up a bit.
“Fine,” he says, the corner of his lip lifting slightly. “But I already know.”
“You do?” This intrigues me. I didn’t take him as the kind of guy to want to know anything about anyone.
He nods. “Laila’s talked about you a lot over the past few months. I know everything that happened with the Sierra pack.”
I figured he would since his daughter played a huge role in my past. She’d put me in danger for the greater good, and in the end, it worked out the way she wanted. Tyla and Sebastian saved me, and they freed her from the Sierra pack.
“Not the best moments in my life,” I reply, turning my attention to the mountains to get away from his piercing gaze.
“No, but you came out stronger. I don’t know you, but even I can see that.”
I can’t help but smile. “Thanks,” I say, turning my attention his way. “I am stronger. I just hate I had to lose so much to get to this point.”
He nods. “I understand that all too well.” His gaze averts to the mountains. “I hear you’re a teacher. Is that what you’ve always wanted to do?”
“Oh, yes. I love my second graders. They’re so fun to be around. Although, I do miss my time at Blake’s ranch. I worked there for Tyla when she was pregnant. Besides teaching, horses are the second love of my life. One day, I’ll have my own ranch.”
A spark of need arises him in, but it disappears all too quickly. It happened so fast I don’t even know if I truly felt it. I could’ve sworn I saw a spark in those crystal blue eyes of his. He turns to me, and he searches my eyes. For what? I don’t know, but it has me frozen in place.
The patio door opens, and the spell breaks. “Dinner time, you two,” Kami calls out.
Quickly, I turn to her, my heart racing out of control. I know Zayne can hear it which is embarrassing. “Great. I’m starving.” I hurry over to the door, not knowing what just happened. Even Kami stares at me curiously.
“I’ll be right in,” Zayne says from behind. I can feel the burn on my cheeks, so I don’t even look back at him before I step past Kami into the house.
She shuts the door behind me and snickers. “What in the world went on out there?”
Once in the kitchen, Colin is there opening up another bottle of wine. He glances at us both and chuckles. “Did I miss something?”
I left my wine glass outside, but I’m not about to go out there to get it. I could use a drink or twelve right about now. “I don’t know,” I confess, holding a hand over my still rapidly beating heart. “Zayne’s just so … intense. I’ve never been around a guy like him before.”
Colin and Kami exchange a look, and then they both smile at me. Kami places both hands on my shoulders and laughs. “He takes some getting used to. But, I promise he’s not as scary as everyone thinks.”
Scary, no. Dangerous, yes. I’m curious about Zayne, but I’m not about to tell Kami or Colin that. I feel something’s going on behind the scenes with them, but I don’t want to question it. So I’m going to let it play out and see what happens.